Vientiane, Oct 5 (IANS): Laos received 2.6 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of 2024, up 19 per cent from 2.2 million over the same period last year.

From January to August, Thailand, Vietnam and China were the top sources of foreign tourists to Laos, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting the Lao Economic Daily, on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Laos saw a total of 2.3 million domestic travel trips in the eight months, an 84.2 per cent surge from the previous year.

The Southeast Asian country has generated approximately $801 million in revenue from international tourists so far this year.

Laos' Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism hopes that more than 6 million Lao and foreign tourists will visit Laos in 2024.

In a bid to bolster tourist numbers during Visit Laos Year 2024, the government has approved visa-free entry and extended the duration of stay for tourists from certain countries.

In addition, the Lao government organised a national tour guide training course to produce more qualified personnel to support tourism growth in Laos and address the shortage of skilled workers in this field.